Nova Innovation: Feasibility study of Larantuka and Indonesian Tidal Energy (FLITE)
Evaluating the positive impacts of deploying tidal turbines
Vision
Nova Innovation is a UK-based floating solar and tidal energy company dedicated to the decarbonisation of the energy sector through innovative floating solar and tidal energy solutions. Its technology harnesses one of the most predictable and reliable sources of clean energy: tidal currents, and the company has developed an innovative approach – turbines that sit on the seabed.
The FLITE Project
Nova Innovation has launched the Feasibility of Larantuka and Indonesian Tidal Energy (FLITE) project to explore the potential for deploying tidal turbines in Indonesia. The project focuses on the Larantuka Strait, located between the islands of Flores and Adonara, which boasts one of the strongest tidal currents in Indonesia.
The array will utilise Nova’s next generation 100kW tidal turbine technology that has been powering homes and businesses in the UK’s Shetland Islands since 2016. Funded by Energy Catalyst, an Innovate UK programme, the project aims to harness Indonesia’s vast tidal resources to provide sustainable energy and improve the quality of life for island communities.
The Challenge
As the world’s fourth most populous country, Indonesia is facing serious challenges supplying electricity to its 6,000 inhabited islands. A lack of grid connectivity has meant that many islands are forced to rely on diesel generators.
High energy costs, exacerbated by supply chain issues and a reliance on diesel, means electricity often must be prioritised for essential tasks, such as healthcare and industry. This issue disproportionately affects women and girls, with many having to leave school to prioritise household responsibilities, which could be more efficiently managed with the use of electrical appliances that are currently unavailable due to inconsistent energy supply.
Providing affordable, clean energy to power homes and street lighting has the potential to encourage students to remain in school, attend evening classes, and enable would-be innovators to fulfil their potential.
The Innovation
Functioning much like wind turbines, Nova’s turbines use the tide to generate clean, predictable, renewable energy. Positioned on the seabed, they have no visual impact on the landscape, pose no navigational hazards for shipping, nor do they harm marine wildlife.
Before deploying these turbines, Nova assesses the tidal resource at potential sites, to inform the commercial pathway for installation.
For the FLITE project, the team collaborated with local stakeholders and used an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler to measure the water flow speed in the Larantuka Strait. Nova then built a hydrodynamic model of the site to understand the tidal resource and identify the best location for its tidal turbines.
Energy Catalyst provided crucial support to this process, offering acceleration assistance and specialist advice on the economic feasibility of deploying tidal turbines in the Larantuka Strait. The programme also provided insights into the local context, helped set up a steering group to navigate administrative processes, and aligned efforts with existing social and cultural norms. Additionally, Energy Catalyst connected the project team with a network of policy stakeholders, local energy companies and partners, community leaders, and the British Embassy in Jakarta.
Leveraging grant funding and brokerage support, Nova forged partnerships with a range of businesses and organisations to successfully complete the FLITE project, including professors and students at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya.
Positive impact
The FLITE project found that deploying tidal turbines in the Larantuka Strait could yield sufficient clean power to meet the energy needs of the area’s growing population. However, it concluded that significant barriers need to be overcome, and funding support would be required to enable the tidal industry to develop in Indonesia.
As part of the project, Nova developed a series of recommendations for the Indonesian government that could play a significant role in addressing these barriers and thus, accelerate the deployment of tidal power in Indonesia – improving quality of life for island communities.
With support from Energy Catalyst, Nova is continuing to engage with key stakeholders in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries on tidal energy. Using the recommendations from the FLITE project, their efforts aim to help create the right policy and market conditions to accelerate the deployment of tidal technologies throughout the region.
Nova’s proposed tidal project in the Larantuka Strait represents an opportunity for Indonesia’s energy future. The project’s commitment to green energy production signifies a transformative shift towards sustainability, offering not just electricity, but a pathway to a greener, more prosperous society.
John Meagher, Chief Business Officer of Nova Innovation